Strike the Zither

A dazzling new fantasy from New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, Strike the Zither is a powerful, inventive, and sweeping fantasy that reimagines the Chinese classic tale of the Three Kingdoms.

The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions, and three warlordesses hope to claim the continent for themselves.

But Zephyr knows it’s no contest.

Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged--while Ren’s honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed.

When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one--and not all of them are human.

Featuring gorgeous map art by Anna Frohmann and black-and-white portraits by Tida Kietsungden, Strike the Zither is the first book in Joan He’s riveting Kingdom of Three duology. Don’t miss the epic conclusion in Sound the Gong!

Joan He was born and raised in Philadelphia, and now splits her time between Philly and Chicago. At a young age, she received classical instruction in oil painting before discovering that stories were her favorite kind of art. She studied psychology and Chinese history at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the bestselling author of The Ones We’re Meant to Find and Descendant of the Crane, her young adult debut novel.